Three-way clamping device

ABSTRACT

THE INVENTION PERTAINS TO A CLAMPING DEVICE SUITABLE FOR CLAMPING DOWN A PART TO A MACHINE BED PLATE BY MEANS OF A HOLDING FORCE PERPENDICULAR TO THE PLATE. THE DEVICE IS MANUALLY OPERATED WITH A PLIERS GRIP IN A PLANE PARALLEL TO THE PLATE SURFACE AND THE DEVICE IS FASTENED SIMPLY TO THE LATE SURFACE. A MODIFICATION OF THE INVENTION PROVIDES FOR THE APPLICATION OF A CLAMPING FORCE IN A PLANE PARALLEL TO THE BED SURFACE SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THE APPLICATION OF A PERPENDICUALR FORCE. THE APPLICATION OF FORCES IS PROVIDED BY A COMBINATION OF TOGGLE AND LEVER ACTIONS.

March 1971 w. L. POHJOLA THREE-WAY CLAMPING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oc-t. s1, 1968 INVENTOR WILL IAM L. POHJOLA ATTORNEYS March 1971 w LPQHJQLA 3,570,837

I THREE-WAY CLAMPING DEVICE Filed Oct. 51, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR WILL/AM L.POHJOLA.

ATTORNEYS March 16, 1971 w. L. POHJOLA 3,570,837

THREE-WAY CLAMPING DEVICE Filed Oct. s1, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR WILLIAM L. POHJOLA A T TORNE V5 US. Cl. 269--94 United States Patent O 3,570,837 THREE-WAY CLAMPING DEVICE William L. Pohjola, Soutlrfield, Mich., assignor to Dover Corporation '(De-Sta-Co Division) Filed Oct. 31, 1968, Ser. No. 772,226 Int. Cl. B25b /08, 5/12 14 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention pertains to a clamping device suitable for clamping down a part to a machine bed plate by means of a holding force perpendicular to the plate. The device is manually operated with a pliers grip in a plane parallel to the plate surface and the device is fastened simply to the plate surface. A modification of the invention provides for the application of a clamping force in a plane parallel to the bed surface simultaneously with the application of a perpendicular force. The application of forces is provided by a combination of toggle and lever actions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In manufacturing processes frequently parts need to be either clamped together or clamped down to the bed of a machine or other device. The clamping device must be simply and readily applied to the part, hold the part with adequate firmness during the processing operation and then be readily released and removed from the part when the operation is completed. Such devices must be simple, fool proof and safe despite very frequent and sometimes abusive usage.

Toggle and lever action devices have long been used to clamp parts together or to clamp parts to a bed surface. In these devices generally the line of application of the force to the part has lain in the same plane as the plane of operation of the toggle or lever assembly or a plane parallel thereto. The best examples of this are ordinary pliers and toggle action pliers which are used for applying a greater force than can be developed with ordinary pliers. In addition, screw or gear actuated devices have been developed for applying clamping forces in two or three perpendicular directions. C-clamp type devices for gluing the mitre joints of picture frames together are examples of the latter.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention is a manually-operated clamping device suitable for attachment to a machine bed plate and incorporates a pliers grip in a plane parallel to the plane of the plate surface. The pliers grip actuates a toggle in the plane of the pliers grip which in turn actuates a lever in a plane perpendicular to the pliers grip and toggle. The lever in turn applies a clamping force to a part located between the lever and the plate surface. In a modification of the invention two of the toggle links are extended and provided with clamping surfaces that can apply a clamping force in a plane parallel to the plane of the plate surface and simultaneous with the application of the force perpendicular to the plate surface.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a top view of a clamping device;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the clamping device;

FIG. 3 is a front end view taken along the line 3--3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view from the handle end of the clamping device;

FIG. 5 is a top view of a modification of the clamping device; and

3,570,837 Patented Mar. 16, 1971 ice DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In FIG. 1 pliers shaped handles 10 and 11 operate a toggle mechanism as follows: Toggle links 13 and 14 rotate about the pivot 18 which in turn is fastened to the supporting element 12. Pin 15 rotatably joins link 13 with handle 10 and pin 16 rotatably joins link 14 with handle 11. Pin 17 rotatably joins handles 10 and 11. As shown, the toggle is in its closed and locked position. The broken lines 10 and 11 indicate the handles in the open position. The release lever 19 is added to facilitate the opening of the toggle when closed. The lever 19 is pivotally connected by the pin 20 to the yoke elements 21 which pivot about the toggle pin 17. The lever 19 may be moved toward either handle 10 or 11 engaging the surface 8 which is integral with the handle 10 and the end or bar 19 tends to rotate towards the surface 9 as the pieces 21 rotate about the pin 17. This action tends to separate the surfaces 8 and 9 thus releasing the closed toggle.

As shown in FIG. 2 the lever arm 22 rotates about the pin 23. At one end 27 of the lever arm 22 an adjustable bolt 28 is used to hold down a part 29' to the bed plate surface 30. At the other end of the lever arm 22 a surface 26 has been milled into a slot such that the ball top 25 of the pin 17 is constrained to slide along the surface 26. A spring 31 keeps the lever arm 22 in contact with the ball 25 along the surface 26. As shown, the toggle pin 17 is in its closed position and the part 29 is locked in place. The broken lines 25' and 26' indicate the ball 25, surface 26 when the toggle is in its open position and the part 29 is therefore loose. The slope of the surface 26 will determine thelocking force applied to the part 29 as the toggle is closed.

In FIGS. 3 and 4 the clamping device is shown closed; therefore, the links 13 and 14 and the handles 10 and 11 are in their closed position. The ball top 25 of the pin 17 is shown constrained to ride against the surface 26.

In FIG. 5 the clamping device is modified to provide a clamping force parallel with the plate surface 30 simultaneously with the clamping force applied to hold the parts to the plate surface 30. The toggle links 13 and 14 are shown as modified, 13a and 14a, to hold adjustable clamping bolts 33 and 34. Separate pieces 36 and 37 on a part 35 can be held to the part 35 by the clamping bolts 33 and 34 simultaneously as the clamping bolt 28 holds the part 35 to the plate 30. Thus, actuation of the toggle provides clamping forces in both directions. FIGS. 5 and 6 show that the modification requires only the substitution of links 1311 and 14a for the links 13 and 14 plus the addition of the adjustable bolts 33 and 34.

While a specific preferred embodiment as well as one modification in the clamping device have been illustrated and described above in detail it will be understood that further modifications could be resorted to without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A toggle operated clamping device comprising a base, a toggle mechanism pivotally mounted on said base, including actuating handle means operable in one plane, a clamp arm mounted on said toggle mechanism for operation in a different plane angularly disposed to said one plane, and means responsive to actuation of said toggle mechanism for actuating said clamp.

2. A clamping device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said toggle mechanism is pivotally mounted on said base on an axis substantially normal to said one plane.

3. A clamping device as set forth in claim 1 including a pivotal mounting for said clamp arm.

4. A clamping device as set forth in claim 1 including a pivotal mounting for said clamp arm, the axis of said pivotal mounting being substantially parallel to said one plane.

5. A clamping device as set forth in claim 1 including a pivotal connection between said toggle mechanism and said base the axis of which is substantially normal to said one plane, and a pivotal connection between said clamping arm and said toggle mechanism, the axis of which is substantially normal to the axis of said first named pivotal connection.

6. A clamping device as set forth in claim 5 wherein said pivotal connection between said clamping arm and said base is mounted on the pivotal connection between said toggle mechanism and said base.

7. A clamping device as set forth in claim 1 including a part .engageable portion of said base in opposition to said clamp arm.

8. A clamping device as set forth in claim 1 including a pivotal mounting for said clamp arm, and wherein said means responsive to actuation of said toggle mechanism includes a cam and cam follower adapted to exert leverage on said clamping arm.

9. A clamping device as set forth in claim 1 including a pivotal connection between said toggle mechanism and said base the axis of which is substantially normal to said one plane, a pivotal connection between said clamping arm and said toggle mechanism the axis of which is substantially normal to the axis of said first named pivotal connection, said clamping arm having an actuating extension, a cam ramp surface on said extension, and means actuated by said toggle mechanism engaging said ramp surface to actuate said clamp arm.

10. A clamping device as set forth in claim 9 wherein the means actuated by said toggle mechanism comprises a cam follower mounted on a pivot pin connecting the handle means of the toggle mechanism.

11. A clamping device as set forth in claim 9 wherein said pivotal connection between said clamping arm and said base is mounted on the pivotal connection between said toggle mechanism and said base.

12. A clamping device as set forth in claim 1 including a toggle operated clamping jaws operating in said one plane providing supplemental clamping in cooperation with said first named clamping arm.

13. A. clamping device as set forth in claim 9 including toggle operated clamping jaws operating in said one plane providing supplemental clamping in cooperation with said first named clamping arm.

14. A clamping device as set forth in claim 1 incorporating spring biasing means acting on the clamping arm.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,075,384 10/1913 Seidel 269174X 2,783,797 3/1957 Blatt 81371X 3,210,070 10/1965 Lagana 269228 ANDREW R. JUHASZ, Primary Examiner D. D. EVENSON, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 269-228 

